Become a Doula in Just 7 Days

BECOME A DOULA

IN JUST 7 DAYS

How To Set Up Your

Doula Practice and Win Clients

Emilia Fensby

Can you really become a doula in just one week?

Yes, you can! If you have some knowledge of pregnancy and birth, you can help other mothers to achieve the best possible birth.

Right now, there are anxious expectant mothers who want your help. Using the detailed techniques covered in this book, you can quickly set up your doula service. That way, mothers-to-be can swiftly find you and request your services. You’ll be surprised how fast this can happen.

No other book comes close to showing you how to succeed as a doula. It’s a practical, down-to-earth manual, based on six years of experience.

Who this book is for

If you’re thinking of becoming a doula, this book is for you. It covers every aspect of setting up your practice, finding clients, and providing your services.

Have you had a positive experience of child birth? Have you helped other mothers give birth or been asked for advice? If so, becoming a doula could be the perfect role for you.

But if you haven’t worked as a nurse or doctor, or had practical experience of childbirth, you shouldn’t consider being a doula.

What you will learn from this book

■  What does a doula actually do?

■  Setting up your doula practice.

■  The three phases of a doula’s work.

■  How to find clients.

■  Planning your work as a doula.

■  Types of birth, and your role in each.

■  How to identify the stages of labor.

■  Agreeing your services with a prospective client.

■  Attending your first birth as a doula.

■  The doula in a hospital, birthing centre, and home birth setting

■  How to help the mother get the birth she wants.

■  Creating a birth plan.

■  Supporting the father and the siblings.

■  Things that can go wrong – and what to do.

■  How to support the mother in the first six weeks after birth.

■  How to market your practice.

■  What to charge for your work.

■  How to get extra income by writing the birth story.

■  The best way to keep records.

■  Working with other healthcare professionals.

■  Staying within the law.

■  Getting insurance.

■  Plus: links to free videos, resources and useful articles

Important: How to access the links

Throughout this book you'll find links to useful resources. To access them, go here and register for free:

https://blackfordcentre.com/courses/doula-links/

Please leave a review

If you find this book useful, please take a minute to review it on Amazon, here: https://mybook.to/Doula. It will help others find the book, and allow more women to receive the support of a doula.

Your free bonus

To accompany this book, there’s a free bonus:

The Doula Action Plan. You can download it here:

https://blackfordcentre.com/Doula-Action-Plan.

Or just point the camera on your phone at this QR code:

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Disclaimer

All content in this book is for informational and educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. The information presented here is not a substitute for professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional prior to making any legal, medical or financial decisions.

Table of Contents

1. Becoming a Doula

Why become a doula?

Who becomes a doula?

How much can you earn?

The benefits provided by  birth doulas

The doula’s role

The need for support before, during and after labor

2. The Professional Doula

Your role as a doula

The professional relationship

What is in your doula bag?

Developing your doula skills

Attending a birth

3. Developing Your Doula Skills

A typical day in the life of a doula

Communication and active listening

The importance of planning and organisation

The doula’s essential equipment

Perinatal mental health

The birth plan: Helping the client get the birth she wants

Home birth and the doula

4. Doula Care During Pregnancy

Your role during the three stages of pregnancy

What support can you offer to the client's family?

Exercise for the pregnant mother

Nutrition for pregnant mothers

Pregnancy massage

5. The doula’s role during labor and birth

Types of birth

Pain relief medication

Induction

Water birth

Hospital or birthing centre birth

Home birth

When things go wrong

6. Giving Support During Labor

Identifying the stages of labor

The role of a doula during birth

Attending your first birth as a doula

Being on call

Home birth

Types of pain relief

Working with the medical team

7. After the Birth

Immediately after the birth

Establishing breastfeeding

New born care: The first six weeks

Bonding – siblings and family members

The importance of rest

Milestones

Postnatal depression

8. Helping the Mother After the birth

Pregnancy and post-partum yoga

Strengthening the pelvic floor

Reducing the post-partum belly

Writing the birth story

The role of a doula as mother’s helper

Calming techniques

Providing reassurance

9. Setting up your Doula Practice

What sort of skills do you need as a doula?

Administration tools

Business records and book keeping

How to charge

Fee structure

Additional services

Provide a menu of packages

Letter of agreement

Payment

Budgeting essentials

Creating a business plan

Your first meeting

Ask for feedback

Getting prepared for your role as a doula

10. Marketing Your Doula practice

Sources of work

Create your own website

Online marketing

Non-digital marketing

Printed material

Networking

Referrals

Think outside the box

Useful tips

11. Finance and Legal Requirements

Money and cash flow

Your business name

The ‘legal form’ of the business

The doula business model

Keeping financial records

Cloud based bookkeeping packages

Your bookkeeper and accountant

Legal considerations

Paying tax

Getting insurance

1. Becoming a Doula

Pregnancy can be a confusing, overwhelming time -

many women seek support during and after their pregnancy.

Overview

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

■  History of birth support and delivery

■  Why become a doula?

■  Who becomes a doula?

■  How much can a doula earn?

■  The benefits of birth doulas

■  The doula’s role

■  The need for support before, during and after labor

Introduction

Since the beginning of time, women have sought the support of other women when giving birth - whether a relative, a midwife or someone from the community designated to offer support. It’s clear that women have looked to have a supportive, experienced person in the room with them as they start a new chapter in life.

In Ancient Rome, midwives and the support of female relatives was extremely common during birth. This has been illustrated in stone and shared through accounts from historians of the day. Although interestingly there are very few first-hand accounts of giving birth from Ancient Rome.

The women of Ancient Rome often gave birth on a special birthing stool or chair, often provided by the midwives, and transported from birth to birth. Midwives often did it as a second occupation, providing support as and when needed away from their main occupation.

Ancient Egypt was much the same, with women offering support to those pregnant or about to give birth. There are no known words in the Ancient Egyptian language to describe the role of a midwife, gynecologist or obstetrician.

Delivery often took place in special rooms or on the roof of a house or pavilion with female helper’s present. Peasant women would have two women from their households, or neighbors whilst wealthy women would most likely have servants and nurses attend. ‘Birth bricks’ were also used to lean on during labor, decorated with scenes to invoke the magic of the gods.

All-female birth support continued from ancient times through to the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, men were not allowed into the delivery room but continued to write the guidance and textbooks to giving birth, based on second-hand information. Pregnancy and childbirth were seen to be a private affair.

European cities started educating and registering midwives – women who were experienced and knowledgeable about delivery babies - in the 15th century. But those based in more rural areas would be supported by female friends and family or an unregistered midwife. This would depend on income and contacts. In England, midwives were sometimes accused of witchcraft.

Pregnancy advice remained much the same as it had during ancient times.

In extreme circumstances, physicians and doctors may be called to attend a difficult birth, but again this depended on income and circumstances. Due to difficulties and risks linked with giving birth, religion and faith were inextricably linked to giving birth. Midwives could baptize babies at birth.

Home births and the support of other women, rather than medical professionals, continued throughout Edwardian and Georgian times.

During Victorian times, a more medical approach became part of childbirth. Hand washing was introduced in the 1840’s which increased the survival rate after childbirth. Male doctors became more commonly involved in the process, moving it away from midwives and female birth support.

Many women went to a lying-in hospital. Although giving birth at home was still relatively common - to be attended to by doctors before they gave birth, particularly if they lived in a city. This was the step towards the more modern concept of a maternity hospital or ward.

Women living in more rural locations, or with enough means to support it, would usually give birth in their own home. There would still be support from family and women within the community.

The 1920’s and 1930’s was where the medical intervention into childbirth really moved forwards. Women moved from an almost completely natural labor through to a full range of medical interventions.

In the 1930’s an intervention called Twilight Sleep (a combination of morphine and scopolamine) was commonly used, which meant many women didn’t remember their birth.

The post-war baby boom in the 1940’s coincided with a book by Dr. Grantly Read which focused on the benefits of natural childbirth. This gave more credibility to methods that had been dismissed as previously old-fashion.

Twilight Sleep was still used and continued to remove autonomy and awareness during childbirth. This fell out of favour in the 1950’s, where hospitals were still the preferred location for birth.

Discussions around pregnancy and birth started to become more normalized in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Women still gave birth in hospital but had more choice and understanding of how the process worked.

Ultrasounds were used during this time to check for medical issues and antibiotics started to be used as treatment postpartum. Maternal and infant deaths declined further. Fathers usually stayed outside during the birth, if they attended at all, though attitudes towards this were starting to change.

The 1970’s still saw women giving birth in hospital, but labor support techniques like relaxation, breathing exercises, water births, Lamaze and hypnosis started to be used alongside pain relief.

Epidurals started to become popular for dealing with the pain of childbirth. It was more common for men to be in the delivery room and involved in childbirth than ever before.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s women had more choice again and could decide whether they wanted to give birth at home or in a hospital. Hospital was still more popular, and many women chose to get an epidural. The use of ultrasound became more widespread, and people could see their baby’s